


They Forced Our Hands In Blood

by ThePurpleStarfish



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, But mostly angst, It's Okay, Knight Bokuto, M/M, Minor Character Death, Royalty AU, Some Fluff, War, brief hiatus, farmhand Kuroo, i'm leaving it not rated for the time being, it's an original character, just because i'm not sure how detailed it will get, prince Akaashi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-10 05:30:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7832242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePurpleStarfish/pseuds/ThePurpleStarfish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nearly choked by the hands of tragedy, Prince Keiji decided it was time to face reality and make a change outside of himself.</p><p>And Tetsurou will follow him anywhere.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a continuation of my piece Beautiful Heirs And Stolen Kisses, but you don't really need to read it in order to understand what's going on. It will give you more details, but again, you don't want to if you don't want to.
> 
> I would also like to thank my beta gayspacemullet on tumblr! They have been really supportive and have helped me a lot while trying to write this

The walls built around the kingdom of Fukurodani were a symbol of their unwavering strength and the solid foundation from which they were built. Simply dropping the name could make an entire hall go silent. They were ruthless, calculating, and completely carnivorous. During the reign of the current king's grandfather, Fukurodani had conquered the Nekoma and Karasuno region, leaving behind piles of bodies in his wake. The battles were fought well from both sides, but the strongest was the one standing. His son was left to mend the relationships between the two fallen kingdoms, a difficult task for any ruler. Luckily, before any more blood fell upon the land, he successfully doing just that in under thirty years despite the bubbling tension that threatened over them.

The present king, King Katsu, led the three combined kingdoms into an era of peace. Over the past twenty years, he has maintained order and safety all while running a village inside the castle; four children. The first born was Mamoru, followed by Hiroshi, the second son. Both took after their mother, dark brown eyes paired with pitch black hair. Just like her, they were beautiful and kind. However, they would not be able to remember anything about her. Although Katsu tried his best to give his kingdom the stability they desired, he could not control everything. Soon after Hiroshi's birth, the queen fell ill and later succumbed to it, leaving behind her husband to take care of two children.

It would be years until a new queen, Mikyako, a noble's daughter from the Nekoma region, rose by the king's side. She would give birth to two more sons, Kiyoshi and Keiji, who were quickly accepted by their older brothers. They were all close, but it became obvious that there was one odd boy out.

Slowly, for a reason no one could figure out, Keiji started to shut down. He spent his days inside, locking himself away at any chance he got. After a few tries, his brothers had stopped attempting to coax him out of his shell. Even Mamoru, who could be considered the closest to Keiji out of the three older brothers, couldn't break through the walls Keiji had built around himself if he chose to enclose himself.

That's when Tetsurou came bursting through, unexpected, unplanned.

Tetsurou was a whirlwind, to put it kindly, the complete opposite of Keiji. A boy who was nothing, nameless to those who lived inside the castle. He was a passing face who would occasionally utter 'yes, sir' or other niceties, but he prided himself with his wit and sharp tongue, uncommon for those who were not in high status. The raw 'talent' he claimed to have only became more precise after Keiji took it upon himself to teach Tetsurou to read after they ran into each other one night in the stables while Tetsurou worked. In return, Tetsurou promised he would help Keiji make nice with the horses, which proved to be much harder than teaching Tetsurou to read.

After that night, other workers around the manor would see them together, left puzzled as to why a prince who had seemed rather recluse would pick a boy who was loud, sarcastic, with a 'go get'em' personality. But despite the doubts of other older members of the staff, the two boys were inseparable whenever they were given the chance. Keiji was tearing down the dangerous walls he had built, so no one dared to complain to him or his parents. Still quiet, but more observant, taking in the world around him.

Which could explain why he pressed his lips against Tetsurou's in the privacy of their secret room. He had seen many members of the council watch their wives with fondness before leaning over and kiss their lips. Knights, guards, nobles, they all have done that to someone who was considered special, regardless of gender. Judging how Tetsurou reacted, Keiji had possibly made a mistake. There was not much he could do now, so he let it go.

Tetsurou could not seem to do so as easily.

A couple of months after Keiji had kissed Tetsurou during the reading session, Tetsurou had finally stopped the blush from flushing his face whenever their eyes would meet. So maybe he would tense up when Keiji would lean over and their shoulders brushed together, or his heart would beat faster with just a single look and a flash of a smile from across the yard when Tetsurou was working in the stables. It was completely ordinary, Tetsurou tried to reason as he walked down to the kitchen door.

Carefully opening the heavy door, Tetsurou shuffled his way through the door into the kitchen. The floor was tiled with checkered black and white, cleaned to near perfection by the maid staff supplied by the owners of the manor. From the back entrance, Tetsurou could see the majority of the counters and center isle across the middle; the bottom part was all light wood, smoothed and polished, and the tops were made of a darker wood. The cabinet was in the back left, which stored simple things such as breads and other items that were easy to preserve (the meats were stored in the smokehouse outside). From there, two women stepped with an armful of dinner rolls each, chatting amongst themselves, not taking notice of Tetsurou's presence.

Tetsurou ducked behind the center isle, knowing full well that he was not supposed to be inside just yet, and for the ladies to pass. “Did you see Prince Keiji in the hall? Such a gentle boy,” the younger of the two ladies said. Tetsurou rolled his eyes. Right, gentle.

“I did. He's handling the whole situation so well. I just hope he doesn't break, you know how he used to being alone he is. And recently he can be very...frosty.”

Alone? That wasn't true; Tetsurou was with him almost every other day. Well, that was only for a few hours. But the bigger revelation in that sentence that Tetsurou should have picked up on first, was that was someone else Keiji was spending time with. Tetsurou shook his head. That shouldn't really be a surprise, and it was good that Keiji was talking to someone else, but that still didn't soothe the strong punch of jealousy that hit him. Keiji was a prince, so he would have to get to know other people, like other princes or princesses. It was going to happen eventually. But that didn't mean Tetsurou had to be happy about it.

As he started to question the state of his friendship with Keiji, the two women made their exit, giving Tetsurou the chance to sneak out through the door just before it closed. He watched them walk down, their footsteps amplified by the wooden floor and empty hallway. A sigh of relief passed his lips before he straightened up, shoving his hands in the pockets of his worn, cotton pants, and made his way down the hall.

The walls were made up of thick bricks of white stones, almost completely covered by portraits of the past royals who wandered the halls. Tetsurou couldn't recognize the majority of them, but he also didn't care enough to find out who they were. They were all related, that much was obvious, but Tetsurou couldn't find one that looked anything like Keiji. They were all bland, uninteresting. The dark black curls and stormy green eyes must have been from his mother.

A few turns down the various hallways, Tetsurou came upon their usual spot. He opened the double doors to the library, finding no one inside, which was always a good sign. The large room was filled with shelves that held books of all different ages and colors, some fictitious, others filled with strategies and languages Tetsurou couldn't even begin to understand. Behind the third bookcase from the entrance, there was another door, much smaller than any of the gigantic ones that loomed before any of the countless rooms in the castle. The door was plain with a single brass doorknob that opened to reveal a simply furnished area with enough room for around five people before it would start to become uncomfortable. Unfortunately, to get to the door, the shelf had to be moved, which required both of the boys. Tetsurou sized the imposing rack and decided that it was better to try. It shouldn't be that hard to move alone. He has gotten taller in these past few months, but he wouldn't push himself too hard, just in case. Ha, case, he snickered to himself, taking position to shove the shelf.

Placing his shoulder against the side of the bookcase, Tetsurou pushed against it, the bottom moving soundlessly against the carpet beneath it. It barely budged. He tried again, only this time he heaved against the side, causing the shelf to shake and topple a book from the higher position and hit Tetsurou on the top of his head. He let out a sharp yelp, rubbing his crown before glaring at the top shelf, cursing it silently.

As Tetsurou bent over and picked up the fairly thick book from the ground, voices came through the door, muffled.

“Bokuto, I really don't need you to follow me in everywhere I go,” came the first voice, flat and slightly annoyed.. Keiji, Tetsurou assumed.

“Keiji, I have my orders! I can't just be seen wandering around the castle, I could get in trouble,” the second voice said. This one was much louder, and completely unfamiliar. This must have been the new prince that Keiji was with.

And Tetsurou was not jealous in the slightest.

The handle of the door turned downward before the door opened wide, and Keiji stepped into the room, looking over his shoulder to the boy behind him. His eyebrows were furrowed together, his nose scrunched up, obviously annoyed. Tetsurou thought it was hilarious. When he turned into the room, his expression changed into surprise. “Oh, Tetsurou, you're already in here.”

Tetsurou hurriedly stuffed the book onto one of the lower shelves. “Uh, yeah, it was easier to get in this time,” he said, his eyes wandering over to the boy standing behind Keiji. Before he could react to him, the kid stepped out in front of the prince, his hand to the thin belt around his middle.

The kid, this Bokuto, was not dressed like Keiji at all. Instead of the traditional garb Keiji adorned, he wore plain, brown cotton pants like Tetsurou, and a long, white robe with the Akaashi crest on his chest. Tetsurou could see the chain mail stick out from the neck and sleeves, a little too big for his current size. On his side, Bokuto was gripping onto a handle, which Tetsurou followed down to see a sheathed sword, flat and wide. Tetsurou gathered that it might not be a good idea to pick a fight with this kid. If the sword wasn't enough, then the wild, golden eyes that blazed with intensity and hair that defied gravity. Tetsurou could sympathize with that last one.

“Bokuto, please calm down. This is Tetsurou, he's my friend.” Tetsurou did his best to cover up any excitement that threatened to show on his face. “You don't need to go and start trying to slice people in half for talking to me.”

A Cheshire grin appeared over Tetsurou's lips, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “I don't know Keiji, I think we're more like best friends, don't you think?”

Keiji rolled his eyes, unfazed. “Never mind, you can go ahead and slice him.”

Bokuto blinked as he looked between the two, looking unsure of what to make of their banter yet. Tetsurou laughed at his confused expression and held his hand out for Bokuto to take. “Tetsurou.”

Eying his hand cautiously, Bokuto accepted the offer, his hand gripped firmly around Tetsurou's. “Koutarou.”

Tetsurou's eyebrows drew together. “But didn't...” he trailed off, looking over at Keiji for some explanation as they dropped their hands.

“He's a knight,” Keiji stated, as if that would answer his question. When it became apparent that Tetsurou had exactly no idea what he was talking about, Keiji went on to explain further. “Knights use their last names instead of their first names. I think it has to do with honoring the family, right?” He looked towards the knight for confirmation.

Bokuto perked up, a wide smile spreading over his lips. “Exactly! Good job, Keiji! But, in all fairness, I'm not a full knight just yet. In a few years, I'll pass the final tests and then I'll be your official knight.”

“Well, with the way you were quick to react, I think you'll do just fine,” Tetsurou assured, earning the same crazy smile that Keiji had just received.

Leaning forward, Bokuto started to invade his personal space a bit, but since he wasn't aggressive or trying to intimidate him, Tetsurou didn't mind all that much. “What? Seriously?”

“Of course. Any normal person would have been terrified if you threatened to pull a sword on them.” Tetsurou watched as Bokuto puffed out his chest in pride, crossing his arms. With a sly smile, Tetsurou continued. “But I think I would be more scared of that hair of yours.”

“Well, I think –Hey! What did you just say about my hair?”

“Tetsurou,” Keiji cut in before the other two boys could start bickering, “first, I don't think you have any room in commenting on someone's hair.” Tetsurou shrugged, touching the ends that stuck out at the top. “Second, don't you think we should start? It's going to be dinner soon enough.”

“Start what?” Bokuto questioned, looking back towards Keiji.

Before he could speak, Tetsurou answered, unashamed. “Oh, Keiji has been teaching me to read.”

“Ooh! With Keiji as a teacher, you must really know how to read. He's the smartest person I know.”

“Bokuto, we just met this morning.”

“I know, and you're still the smartest person I know.”

Keiji decided to ignore Bokuto's flattery and turned to Tetsurou, but there was still a change of color in his cheeks, no matter how miniscule. Instead of responding, Keiji went over to the other side of the shelf, nodding his head towards Tetsurou. Understanding what Keiji was trying to say, he walked over to the opposite side of the shelf and started to push as Keiji pulled. Bokuto did make some protests, saying how Keiji could get hurt, but the two boys were able to move the towering object enough so that the hidden door could be opened. Tetsurou breathed out the breath he had been holding while shoving the bookcase and looked over to Bokuto. “Wanna come in?”

Bokuto twiddled his fingers, his eyes shifting between Tetsurou, Keiji, and the door. “Are you sure it's okay? I wouldn't want to impose or anything,”

“Impose? You don't need to use fancy words here-”

“Tetsurou, impose isn't that fancy-”

“Keiji, please. Anyways, of course it's okay if you come in, Bo.”

Tetsurou watched as Bokuto's eyes lit up at his newly found nickname, excitement coloring his features. “Well, if you say so, then we shouldn't wait any longer.”

Tetsurou opened the door to their secret room, letting Bokuto be the first one to enter. Turning towards Keiji, he noticed that he had walked over into a farther part of the room, his posture relaxed as he looked over the books. His fingers skimmed over the bindings before pulling one out, examining the cover and finding it suitable for the reading. Tetsurou could feel the hints of tension around him, that he wanted to say something. He waited patiently for Keiji to do so, remaining quiet as he watched Keiji's hands grip around the sides of the book.

“You're very kind,” he said eventually, every word accented with careful discretion, “and good with people.”

“What? Are you jealous,” he questioned, his tone playful and light. It was not an unknown fact that Keiji was a little hard to talk to, to put it lightly. He didn't give off the warm and fuzzy feelings just by being around him, but Tetsurou didn't mind that. Keiji was blunt and to the point, which was good given that he was a terrible liar, and Tetsurou liked that.

“A little bit,” Keiji answered honestly, shrugging his shoulders, “but when you're around, I don't need to be the one good with people.” Tetsurou was about to make a witty comment, but all words were stuck in his throat as Keiji looked up at him with the clearest smile he had ever seen on the boy. “I'm glad you're my friend, Tetsurou.”

Tetsurou could feel his chest tighten at the words, almost completely overwhelmed by the unusually kind words and even rarer smile. He tried to speak without sounding too choked “I,” he was off to a bad start. After swallowing, he tired again. “I think you mean 'best friend'”

Keiji hummed to himself, glancing down at the book again. “I guess I do, don't I?” Tucking the book under his arm, the younger boy stalked towards the opened door, taking one step inside before looking back at Tetsurou. “Are you coming?”

Tetsurou wasn't entirely sure what to think of Keiji. He knew he wasn't as cold as people said, and that he liked to read fantasy and poetry over his assigned work from his teachers, that, if it got late enough, he liked to rest his head on Tetsurou's shoulder. He knew all of this, but maybe those women from earlier were right. Maybe Keiji was-

“Tetsurou, if you don't hurry up, Bokuto will take your place as my best friend.”

Not gentle at all.

Tetsurou shook his head, smiling as he walked towards the door, hearing a muffled, yet still extremely boisterous, 'Keiji! Are you serious?' as he entered.

Tetsurou would learn that even though it had been the first time anyone had something about Keiji that was grossly misinformed, it certainly wasn't the last.

No one, Tetsurou decided, in the castle knew Keiji at all. From some, he heard that he was a kind, quiet boy who couldn't hurt a fly. If the bruises on his ego would show, Tetsurou would completely throw that out of question, but that was nowhere near as bad as the other assumption people had; Keiji was rotten. While some took his silence as a sign of his thoughtfulness, others took it as rude and uncaring, which was worse than the first presumption. Keiji simply wasn't as extroverted as his three older brothers. While they could all fill a room with their laughter and light, Keiji was more likely to watch from the sidelines, but that didn't make him any less enjoyable.

But the worst thing Tetsurou heard was a few years after they had met.

Keiji was fifteen, he and Bokuto were about sixteen, all of them were still young, impressionable.

And they were all going to get in trouble.

“Waiting for Keiji is boring,” Bokuto groaned, lacing his fingers behind his head as he and Tetsurou walked down the hall near the ballroom.

Tetsurou had to agree; waiting for Keiji was like waiting for water to boil. His classes started to take up even more time ever since his last birthday, ranging from history and the current treaties with the other territories, to more domestic tasks like cooking. Tetsurou found it all more time consuming rather than educational, but he wasn't the one who had to do it all. No, instead he walked around with Bokuto, which was better, in his opinion.

“Well, it could be worse,” Tetsurou started, continuing down past the ballroom.

“Tetsurou.”

“We could be, I don't know-”

“Tetsurou,” came the aggressive, hushed whispered from Bokuto.

“What?” Tetsurou turned, his eyebrows coming together as he saw Bokuto standing behind him. As Bokuto gave a frantic hand movement urging him closer, Tetsurou walked over to him. He opened his mouth to begin to ask why the hell Bokuto stopped in the middle of the hall, but his action was interrupted by Bokuto pointing to the ballroom.

One thing that should be noted about the ballroom was that the front wall was made of glass, showing the inside of the usually lavishly decorated dance hall. In the middle of the nearly empty room was a small, elderly woman with a stern look, her gray hair piled atop her head, her fist tightening around the handle of her cane as she looked to the taller boy next to her. Keiji. He was wearing a formal dress shirt, a deep wine purple with gold trimming that laced up his back. The gold color also created intricate designs over his front, as well as outline the ends of the cuffs of the sleeves. His pants were the same as his shirt, coming up around his waist, and then disappearing under his boots.

Keiji did not look comfortable.

Through the glass, Tetsurou watched as the old woman scolded him for something that couldn't be heard from this side. Keiji pursed lips, but made whatever correction she had told him to do. When she was satisfied, or at least not as bothered, she began to tap her cane against the floor, the dull echo making its way into the hall. After a few more beats, Keiji raised his hands to his invisible partner and started to move. It wasn't terrible, exactly, but he was obviously stiff and dreaded every step he had to take.

“Tetsu, I have the best idea,” Bokuto said suddenly, his eyes still on Keiji, watching each step.

As Tetsurou followed his eyes, he knew exactly what Bokuto was thinking. “Bokuto,” he said, clapping a hand on his shoulder, “I think I know what you're going to say, and it's the best idea you have ever had.”

Turning on his heels to face Tetsurou, Bokuto took a step back and took a bow. Tetsurou could have made a complaint about how Bokuto should have taken the girl position since he was shorter, but he didn't feel like putting up too much of a fight. He gave a curtsy, pulling the extra fabric on his pants to act as the skirt, which caused Bokuto to give a loud snort. They faced each other, throwing their looks over to the instructor and Keiji every so often to make sure they were following the steps correctly. Bokuto placed a hand on Tetsurou's hip, waggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, and earned a soft punch to his opposite shoulder because of it. “I expect you to be the perfect gentleman, Bo.”

“Don't worry, babe,” he winked at him. Another punch. “I got you.”

The two boys started the formal dance, but ended up putting their own twist in it. Their moves were dramatic, over exaggerated with each step, but still in time with the tap of the instructor. More than once, Tetsurou caught Keiji's eye, the younger boy's face twisting up in an attempt to control his laughter. It was truly a sight to behold. Tetsurou, however, was not completely satisfied with just half a laugh.

“Tetsu,” Bokuto said suddenly, “I'm going to dip you.”

“What? Wait, Bokut-”

It was too late. Before Tetsurou could explain why this was a horrible idea, Bokuto snaked an arm around his waist and pulled him in tight. Tetsurou's feet fumbled under them, but that didn't deter Bokuto from coming forward and forcing Tetsurou to bend, his back arching high. As his head was forced back, Tetsurou was able to make eye contact with Keiji for one moment before he heard a loud groan from above him.

“Uuughhh Tetsurou you're so heavy,” Bokuto complained, his arms straining against the sudden weight.

“Bokuto, don't you fucking dare-” Tetsurou tried, but as he spoke, he could feel the imprints of Bokuto's fingers start to slip from his back. With a yelp, Tetsurou fell unceremoniously onto the floor, happening so fast that he had no opportunity to prepare himself for the impact. Above him, Bokuto was trying his best not to let his giggles escape him, but did a horrible job of it. High pitched and sharp, they bounced off the walls, creating an echo all the way down the hall. Tetsurou groaned and rolled to his side, shifting up onto his arm. “You dick.”

“I'm sorry,” Bokuto choked out, biting his lips in an effort to quite himself. Tetsurou rolled his eyes and pressed his other hand to the ground to push himself up, but a muffled sound stopped him. On the other side of the glass, Tetsurou could see Keiji laugh in full force, his back no longer stiff straight as he bent over in trying to catch his breath. The shrewd woman next to him looked horrified by the prince's actions, her mouth twisting up and her nose crinkling. She puffed up her chest and chastised him before sending him out of the room, hitting the back of his calves as he walked away. Still, his laughter continued despite her chiding remarks.

Tetsurou could feel his breath catch as Keiji rounded the corner. The younger boy was walking towards them, probably despite his better judgment, his hand covering his mouth to muffle his laughter. Tetsurou was still on the ground, the majority of his weight on his arm, by the time Keiji had reached them. By that point, the boisterous laughter trailed off into stifled giggles, cheeks dusted pink as he looked between the other two boys. “I hope you know I got in trouble because of you two,” he said, his bottom lip tucked in slightly in order to keep a straight face.

“It's Tetsurou's fault,” Bokuto cut in before Tetsurou could begin.

“What?” Tetsurou was scandalized. “How is it my fault? You're the one who dropped me.”

“S'not my fault you're too heavy.”

“Maybe you're too weak.”

“Ouch, that was low.”

Tetsurou snorted loudly before finally pushing himself fully off the ground, straightening out his rumpled clothing. “You know what was low? Letting me fall flat on my ass.”

“Please,” Keiji cut in, his hands locked together behind his back, twiddling his fingers, “I think it was probably both of your faults.”

“But mostly Tetsurou's 'cause he can't dance.”

“Hey-”

“I'm inclined to agree.”

“Keiji-!”

“Am I wrong,” he questioned, cocking up an eyebrow.

“I'm a fantastic dancer,” Tetsurou argued, folding his arms in front of his chest, “I'm just not used to being in the following position. I'm usually the one who's in the lead.”

“Ohoho-”

“Bokuto.”

“My bad, continue.”

After sending a short, sharp glare over to him, Tetsurou looked back at Keiji. From the look in his eyes, Tetsurou could tell that Keiji was still skeptical about his claims. He hummed, uncrossing his arms so his chin could be cradled between his thumb and index finger while Keiji gave him a quizzical look. “After all these years, I can't believe you won't believe me,” Tetsurou sighed dramatically, not bothering to fight the smirk that crossed his lips, “guess the only way is for me to show you.”

Keiji doubled back, his eyes widening as he took in Tetsurou's words. “Excuse me?” He gave him a once over, looking only slightly terrified. Tetsurou choked back a laugh and took a small step forward.

“Come on, Keiji, what do you say? Wanna dance with me?”

There was a stiffness in Tetsurou's shoulders, but he managed to offer a hand out to the boy in front of him. If he were the romantic type, Tetsurou might have taken notice of Keiji and how although he had composed his expression, the blush forming across his cheeks was giving him away. He might have described how his chest tightened as his eyes followed the color over the bridge of his nose or the tips of his ears. But he wasn't.

Definitely not.

“Wouldn't you rather have Bokuto dance with you? To exact revenge or something like that?”

“That would be nice, but he's going to be keeping count. Isn't that right, Bokuto?”

“Huh?” Bokuto shook himself from his quiet state. “Oh, yeah, exactly! One of us has gotta keep time, Keiji! Plus, from the looks for things, you need the practice.”

Tetsurou barked a laugh as Keiji bristled. “See? Come on, the worst thing that could happen is that you step on my foot.”

Keiji looked like he was about to argue, but promptly shut his mouth and took the hand offered to him. “Don't drop me.”

“I'll try not to.”

Keiji took a step forward, squeezing Tetsurou's hand softly, barely detectable. Tetsurou followed by placing his hand on the other boy's hip, but as soon as they connected, the loud sound of bells echoed through the room. Tetsurou yanked his hand away as if he touched fire. All three boys looked down the hall as the bells rang on, drowning out the sound of guards running down the opposite end of the hall. Tetsurou turned to Bokuto to ask what was going on, and his breath caught in his throat.

Bokuto's head was tilted to the side, just as lost as Tetsurou, but the sudden shift in intensity of Keiji's grip. It was almost unbearable, his normally still hands began trembling with anxiety. Tetsurou didn't need to turn back to him to know that Keiji had paled at the sight of the men along with the sound of the bells. Although the meaning was lost on Tetsurou and Bokuto, Keiji obviously knew what was going on all too well. Giving a final squeeze of his hand with whatever strength he had left, Keiji stepped back from Tetsurou, clearing his throat. Bokuto and Tetsurou whipped their heads around to pay attention.

“I have to go,” he choked out, barely audible over the sound of the bells.

“Keiji-” Tetsurou reached out to him and caught nothing. Keiji brushed past him, leaving nothing but a cool breeze as he made his way towards the men in armor. The dark colors of his clothing quickly morphed with frenzied silver, before getting lost completely. Tetsurou slid his worried gaze over to Bokuto. Were they really going to stand here? In return, Bokuto offered a shrug; there was nothing else they could do at the moment.

Tetsurou looked down the hall where Keiji had disappeared. The bells had stopped ringing, but the ringing in his ears had not; whatever was happening was not going to end well.

If the fates were on their side, they would have proven him wrong.

But Tetsurou's fate had already been sealed, leaving no room for bargaining.

There was no sight of Keiji for almost three days. There had been no word from anyone. Bokuto attempted to get information from the higher level combat soldiers, but everyone remained tight-lipped. It was starting to become unbearable. Tetsurou had even tried going to Keiji's room, but presence of guards had doubled, if not tripled. They remained in the dark.

Just before dawn of the fourth day, while Tetsurou was moving large blocks of hay to the horses, the news broke out around the castle; Prince Mamoru had been murdered. After some worrisome threats in the Karasuno district, Mamoru was sent to keep the peace between the territories. Karasuno, had just ended a feud with Shiratorizawa, resulting in the latter kingdom losing land, and tensions were high. Because of Fukurodani's record with amicable treaties, Karasuno had asked for help. Unbeknownst to them, Shiratorizawa had already formed a treaty with Seijou. An ambush.

It was a bloodbath.

Mamoru had escaped with a few of his own soldiers, but his wounds were fatal. For the past three days, Mamoru had been on his deathbed, which explained Keiji's absence. By the time Tetsurou heard the news, the preparations for the funeral were being put in place. It would be held the next day, more than enough time for Tetsurou to go to Keiji. He could not begin imagine what he was going through.

But there was an impenetrable wall blocking his path.

“You've got to let me in there,” he pressed, looking between the two guards standing in front of Keiji's bedroom door. This had been going on for the past few minutes and Tetsurou was starting to get irritated, to say the least. The guards were doing their jobs, but that was not an explanation Tetsurou was willing to accept. Keiji was in pain, how could they leave him alone?

“Step back, you do not have permission to enter the room,” the guard on the right answered coolly. Tetsurou ticked, the corner of his lips turning in a scowl.

“Who gives a damn about permission? He's my friend, he needs me.” He took a step forward, but was immediately stopped by a strong hand.

“Kid-”

“Get off me.” He shoved the hand away and attempted to go forward again. A swift movement later and Tetsurou was doubled over, holding his gut.

“You do not have permission to see Prince Keiji, get back to work.”

Ah, right. After years of being side by side, the gap between their ranks disappeared. It was easy to forget that those rules don't apply to them outside of their bubble.

Tetsurou snarled up at them, doing his best to straighten up his back. He wanted to bite back, to argue further, but he knew the door wasn't that thick. If he started something, he wouldn't be only one to know about it. Instead, Tetsurou took his pride and walked away the best he could without doubling over again. When he rounded the corner, he swore to himself that this would be the last time that he wouldn't be there for Keiji when he needed him.

The next time he saw Keiji, it was at the funeral. Although the entire kingdom was mourning, only a few were allowed to attend. The family, of course, along with the soldiers, guards, and knights who worked along side the late prince. Bokuto was able to get them both into the official ceremony, pushing their way to the middle of the crowd along the side.

At the front of the line, there was a glass case covered in chains of white roses. From this angle, Tetsurou couldn't see the inside, but that was probably for the best. He had seen Mamoru a few times before; dark hair that was always tied up, a warm smile and even warmer eyes, a good person, from what he remembered. Seeing him ashen and cold, that was something Tetsurou wouldn't, couldn't, bear.

Next to the casket stood the king, his face gray with grief. Guilt was written all over his face, attempting to come to terms with what Tetsurou thought to be the unimaginable; burying his child. Mikyako stood by him, more expressive as tears streamed down her face, her hand gripped tightly on the king's arm. Hiroshi and Kiyoshi stared down at the case, not making a sound as they tried, and failed, to blink away tears. Then there was Keiji.

Unlike the rest of his family, Keiji was blank. It was unsettling. There was no trace of emotion on his face, not anger, sorrow, or even his default blank expression; this was different. Even though Keiji had been known to be expressionless, Tetsurou knew that was not the case. Whether it was the slight dip in the corner of his mouth, or the wrinkle of his nose, there was always a tell-tale sign of his true thoughts and feelings. But here, here was nothing. No tears fell, no lines of worry appeared on his skin, it was as if he could no longer emote. Looking at him made Tetsurou's chest ache.

“Do you see that,” one knight grumbled to his neighbor, “he's completely unaffected.”

Tetsurou's blood began to boil.

“He must be completely cold.”

He couldn't stop the words that poured from his mouth. “And you know that how?”

The man turned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“I think you know exactly what I said,” he shot back under his breath, “but I could repeat it if you'd like. Honestly, I would have expected more from the king's men, but maybe that's why we have to be today, huh?”

“What did you just say, kid?”

Tetsurou puffed out his chest, raising his voice. “I said-” he was quickly cut off by a tug on his arm, forcing him back further into the group of people. Knocking into shoulders, earning gruff, disapproving comments, Bokuto dragged Tetsurou out into the hall before the tensions grew explosive. Tetsurou grunted and cursed until he finally shook off the hand clamped down on his shoulder. When he turned, he met Bokuto's eyes, the usually bright gold color appearing dull in the dimly lit corridor. They stared at each other, Tetsurou panting somewhat as the adrenaline and rage coursed through him. “Why?”

Bokuto broke eye contact, sliding his gaze over to the crowd they just left. “You were getting too loud. And...and if I'm saying that, then you were getting really loud,” he attempted to chuckle, but all that came out was a puff of air.

Tetsurou winced internally at the lack of sound, unfamiliar to his ears whenever Bokuto was around. How annoying; even Bokuto was acting more mature than he was. He pressed his back against the wall, the heels of his hands digging into his eyes as strangled noise escaped him. It was something between a groan and a laugh, but it didn't stop until he was sitting on the ground. “This shouldn't have happened,” he said after a moment, not a word spoken between the two boys, “they didn't deserve...and the things those guys are starting to say..”

Bokuto nodded solemnly. The air around them was thick with tension, broken only by the sound of bells.

Tetsurou was starting to hate that sound.

From the room they had left, the sound of marching and choked sobs replaced the sharp tang of brass. Tetsurou decided he hated this sound much more. The boys moved towards the door, peering in. Most of the guards were the first to walk out, making a path for the late prince. After them, knights carried out the casket, the decorations wobbling with every step. Tetsurou watched as they made their way to the opening of the castle, the white roses falling onto the ground. At first, no one moved to pick them up.

Then there was Keiji.

The last one from the family out the door, Keiji halted for a moment, staring down at the flowers. All the air left Tetsurou's lungs as he watched Keiji crouch down and pick them up, the petals shaking. Tetsurou couldn't see his face, but he could see how Keiji gripped the ring, crushing the flowers with trembling hands. He stood, his posture remaining the same, and if you weren't looking, you could have missed the slightly collapse of his knee before continuing on. But Tetsurou saw, and by the pained sound from Bokuto, he saw it too. Their friend was falling apart, but only they could see it, and there was nothing they could do.

That day stuck with Tetsurou. Whether it was the spiteful words from the knight, or maybe catching Keiji's unusual stumble, it caused Tetsurou realize something; Keiji blocked himself from the rest of the world.

But Tetsurou would fight with every tooth and nail in order to get to him.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know i said i would update biweekly but 1) college sucks the life out of you and 2) have you heard WINGS by BTS??
> 
> This chapter is also unbeta'd so please tell me if anything is misspelled or anything like that. I spent a while editing but i am but one person and if i had to look at this chapter any long, i might have screamed :)))

Tetsurou had always found the horse stables to be a safe haven. It was enormous with strong wooden pillars spread throughout the structure to hold up the layer above, which held the new, effective (albeit dangerous) tools for maintenance. The lower level had towering stacks of food and hay for the animals, but the most notable feature of the building was the overall smell that had been known to knock someone out cold if they weren't prepared. But despite the pungent air and grimy surroundings, it had been his home for the past decade. Of course he slept in his own quarters like the rest of the staff, but when he was in the barn, there was a different, homely, feeling that washed over him. It wasn't exactly lavish by any stretch of the word, but Tetsurou had spent countless hours working on cleaning and perfecting the area as much as he could. But in spite of his best efforts, the floors were constantly covered in a thin layer of straw, which proved impossible to get up completely after an older worker had suggested Tetsurou to do it.

It took him a week to understand that he was being toyed with.

Nevertheless, Tetsurou had always tried to make the stables organized and spotless. Well, as spotless as a building meant for storing animals could be. Bags of feed were stacked evenly against the wall, the hay in front of them in thick bricks. On the other side of these mounds were the horses, placed there strategically so that they could never rip through the cloth bags and eat a weeks worth of grain. It only needed to happen once for Tetsurou to learn his lesson. The layout he had created was impeccable. It may have belonged to the royal family, but it was Tetsurou's. A place where he could relax.

_Clang._

Well, for the most part.

_Clang_

Tetsurou straightened his arm with a harsh force to shove the sword away from him.

_Clang._

There was nothing fancy about his footwork, but given his height and strength, his stances provided a solid foundation against the blows directed towards him.

The grain bags, however, threw him off a bit.

Tetsurou found himself in the spacious walkway between the stables with Bokuto after multiple promises of helping carry said grain bags to the horses. Bokuto had said that he would help Tetsurou feed the horses because he was 'such a great friend'. What he neglected to mention until they were more than half way through moving the bags was that, in return, Tetsurou would have to help him spar. Safely, of course.

Tetsurou could hardly call attaching nothing but semi-full bags to his biceps and sides “safe” from a weapon used to kill, but he had complete trust in Bokuto's ability to hold back when necessary.

“Come on, Bo,” Tetsurou tempted, his words coming out in a single breath, “I don't even have a single nick in these things.” He flapped his arms despite his muscles' protests.

Bokuto snorted, shifting the hilt in his hand. “I'm pretty sure if I went at you right now, you'd fall over.”

“Doubt it.” Somewhere from behind, Tetsurou heard a horse whinny, laughing at him. Even they knew that, contrary to what he had just said, a strong wind gust might have knocked him over. It wasn't that he was out of shape, but trying to deflect Bokuto's advances was difficult enough without the extra weight dragging him down. Plus, he had just finished his work and they had been doing this for way too long and he is definitely not being defensive about this.

Bokuto snorted and came forward again, his blade connecting with the bag, the contents falling out onto the floor from the small slit it created. An opportunity. Tetsurou put his hand to the hole, gasping loudly. “Oh no, look at that,” he said, monotone, “I've been mortally wounded. I guess this means I have to stop.” Slowly, Tetsurou let his knees give way, plopping onto the hay bundles behind him. Closing his eyes, he ignored the whine from a few feet in front of him.

“Come oooon,” his voice drawled out, “we haven't even been doing it that long.”

Tetsurou barked out a piercing, singular laugh.

“Okay, maybe we have, but there's always time for more.”

He waved a hand dismissively. They could do 'more' later when Tetsurou wasn't having to fight the sting of his muscles. After a few moments of silence, and no obvious movements from the boy on the pile of hay, Bokuto accepted his defeat. He dropped his sword, the sound muffled by the soft dirt and straw beneath them. He then walked over next to where Tetsurou had collapsed and followed in suit, his forearm hitting the center of Tetsurou's chest. Excluding the sharp exhale from the impact and the occasional clomps of hooves, the room went silent. If he wasn't feeling every single pulse that his muscles were producing, Tetsurou might have fallen asleep.

“Oh, so you have finally done each other in,” a calm, level voice commented from the entrance. With that tone, it could only be-

“Hey, Keiji,” Bokuto exclaimed. Tetsurou felt him shoot up into an upright position, shifting the weight of the hay.

“Ah, how unfortunate.”

The comment went ignored. “You should have waited for me, I could get in trouble again.”

“I'm an adult, I don't need anyone to walk me from room to room in my own home.”

An airy laugh escaped from Tetsurou's lips. “I don't know if I would call you an adult, Keiji. Aren't you, like, twelve?” He sat up slowly, opening his eyes to finally take in the scene before him.

Keiji had moved from his place at the entrance over to the two boys, his arms folded in front of his chest. If Tetsurou was being completely honest, there was no doubt that Keiji was starting to become an adult. As expected, Keiji matured much faster than the other two. He had always been a serious boy, but adulthood just heightened his chilly personality. But, despite all of that, he would still laugh at Bokuto's poor toilet humor, or even Tetsurou's perpetual bedhead. He might have been maturing, but it was reassuring to see the childhood cracks through the personality he had built for himself. But it wasn't just his behavior that was evolving. Unlike Bokuto and himself who had dropped their boyish looks at eighteen, Keiji's still held strong, but there were slight differences. The gentle slopes of his jaw straightened and sharpened, his shoulders broadened, and the once awkwardly long limbs became more proportional to the rest of his body. Handsome.

And he had perfected his bone-chilling scowl.

Sharp eyes sent him a pointed glare. “You can't effectively insult me when you are covered in chicken feed.”

Tetsurou shrugged, more grain to spill from the bag. “Fair.”

Satisfied with his answer, Keiji's attention turned back to Bokuto. “But since you didn't pick come for me-”

“But didn't you just say-?”

“-I have a favor to ask.”

Bokuto blinked in surprise. It wasn't every day that Keiji would ask for a favor; he barely asked the maids to do anything. He recovered quickly and stood, groaning softly at the protest of his own muscles. Tetsurou snorted, 'always time for more' my ass.

“Sure, what do you need?”

He answered without missing a beat. “I want to spar with you.”

Silence; not even the horses wanted to cry out a whinny. The world seemed just as surprised as the pair of boys in the stables. Two sets of wide eyes were on the prince, blinking slowly. Did Keiji really want to spar? It wasn't completely out of character for him to want to try new things, but sparring? That just did not seem like something Keiji would decide to do. Nonetheless, Bokuto nodded. He picked up his own sword and then the one Tetsurou had been using.

“Alright, but we're going to be using practice swords, not these things. They can get pretty heavy-”

“I know. I have held them before, so you don't need to get practice ones.”

Tetsurou cradled his chin in the palm of his hand, resting his elbow on his knee. “Do you really think that's the best idea? You could get really hurt, and as much as I trust you, if you do get hurt, I would rather not answer to your parents.”

Keiji thought for a moment, his thoughts displayed in the furrow of his brow. “That would be...unpleasant.”

“I don't think 'unpleasant' is a strong enough word, Keiji.”

Bokuto laughed, his usual robust sound echoing off the walls. “As fun as it would be to watch Tetsurou to get absolutely slaughtered by Keiji in a battle of wits again-”

“Wow, rude.”

“-I have to go exchange these for ones that won't take any limbs off. Play nice, you two.” He sent a pointed finger towards Tetsurou, then dragged it over to Keiji. He walked off, the swords in both of his hands. As Keiji's back was turned, Bokuto gave an exaggerated wink, his whole face scrunching up into a strange expression.

Tetsurou fought down the blush that threatened to surface. So maybe Tetsurou had been slightly – very slightly – infatuated with Keiji when they were younger, but that was a few years ago. They grew up together, it was only natural for him to develop some sort of feelings for Keiji. He hadn't been closer to anyone in his entire life. But time went on, and the feelings went with it. He was completely over it.

Watching Bokuto leave, Keiji shook his head before leaning against the small stack of hay next to Tetsurou, a small, tired smile forming.

Okay, maybe not completely over it.

“So,” Tetsurou started, his hands working to take off the bags of grain, “how was your class?”

Seeming to appreciate the small talk, Keiji relaxed to his shoulders, air escaping his lungs as he deflated. “Fine. My teacher made write in the old language of Karasuno the entire time, so my hand hurts a bit.” He rolled his wrist to prove his point, the cracking sound dull but audible. Tetsurou cringed.

“Wow, and you want to fight Bokuto with that? Well, good luck with that.” He untied the rope to the last one, sighing in relief as the bag hit the ground with a thud. “I always did like to cheer for the underdog.”

Keiji didn't answer. Rather, his face twisted in thought, his arms crossed over his chest, which said more than he ever could.

“Keiji?” He watched as Keiji jumped, tensing up his shoulders and then lowering them once again.

“Hm?” Although his shoulders were relaxed, Tetsurou could still see something was troubling him. He lacked the fluidity that usually came with his movements; apprehension.

It was unnerving, to say the least. Tetsurou's eyes scanned over Keiji's posture, analyzing every dip and angle. Something was off, but it was as if the answer kept slipping from his mind. His eyes fell onto his bicep, watching as his fingers dug into the fabric, leaving harsh indents. Ah, so that's what it is.

“Could you stop looking at me like that? It's really-”

“You're thinking about Hiroshi, aren't you?” The tension appeared once again.

Hiroshi; the second brother. The one who took Mamoru's death the hardest, the one who set out to go to the front lines as soon as he was old enough. It had been five years since the war first started, and although there wasn't always a battle on the front lines, the political war was obviously taking a toll on the entire kingdom. Usually, the battles would go to Fukurodani, but the tensions were rising on account of a new tactician leading his soldiers, and wins were becoming less frequent. Because of this, Hiroshi set out on his third deployment.

Each time, Keiji had no other option but to wait in the walls of his home.

Keiji followed Tetsurou's eyes, who's gaze never left his finger tips, and shook out his hands, clasping them behind his back. “It may have been on my mind for the past few days...”

Giving a knowing hum, Tetsurou cradled his chin as he looked up to Keiji. Of course he had. It's only natural. Not only did he have to deal with his brother at war, but also the fact that this could be the second one who wouldn't come back. Tetsurou didn't have any siblings, so he could only imagine what that would be like. A weight that heavy shouldn't be carried alone.

“Keiji,” he started, thinking carefully before he spoke, “me and Bokuto are gonna go to this festival tonight in the town tonight, you wanna come?”

The question barely had enough time to settle in the air before a single laugh pierced through. Keiji gave an incredulous look, but even his own doubt couldn't keep the smile that was starting to creep onto his face. “Are you serious?”

“I've never been more serious in my life, cross my heart,” he said, drawing an X over his chest.

Keiji gave another skeptical look, his eyebrows raised, probably already questioning Tetsurou's intent, but – as usual – he caved. After knocking his hip against Tetsurou's shoulder, Keiji breathed out a laugh, the tension in his body leaving with the exhale. Tetsurou started to unwind as well, the warmth blooming in his chest acting as the best muscle relaxer he could ask for.

“Alright, that would be fine. But I would have to sneak out,” he warned, but Tetsurou ignored his efforts.

“That sounds like a challenge. You know how much I love a challenge.”

“If we're found out, you could be charged with kidnapping.”

“Details aren't that important.”

“It's treason, Tetsurou.”

“Details.”

Keiji laughed, the sonorous, full sound bouncing off the walls. Although it wasn't low enough for Tetsurou to feel in his chest, the pure, genuine sound was enough to squeeze around his lungs, forcing the air out of him. Tetsurou masked his torment, only his signature crooked smile forming over his lips while he pretended that he had not just thought his best friend's laugh was the single most beautiful thing he had ever heard. Keiji took advantage of his daze, flicking the top of Tetsurou's ear to snap him out of it. Tetsurou shot his hand up to cover his ear, giving a halfhearted glare as Keiji smirked, amused.

Tetsurou was content with the comfortable atmosphere that settled over them. These moments seemed to become more and more scarce as time went on. If this was what everyone talked about when they said they were “coming of age”, a time where stress and worry and death became more prevalent, then he didn't want to be apart of that. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He was the one who would always tease Keiji about not living in the present.

The silence was broken by the loud clap of two wooden planks slapping against each other, startling both Tetsurou and Keiji out of their thoughts. “Alrighty, kiddos,” Bokuto boomed, holding the practice swords in each hand, “you ready to get absolutely wasted, Keiji?”

Keiji hummed in response, pushing off the wall of hay while Tetsurou booed towards Bokuto. He did say that he liked routing for the underdog. Bokuto brushed off the jeers, offering the sword to Keiji. He firmly grasped the hilt of the weapon, turning it over in his hand to get used to the weight as Bokuto blathered on about how they couldn't really hurt each other, or how they were just doing this for sport and nothing more. Keiji nodded politely, but didn't say much other than the occasional hum.

“Knock 'em dead, Keiji!” Tetsurou exclaimed as the younger boy took his position across from Bokuto. Well, maybe not a position. It was something akin to a slouch and suddenly Tetsurou started to lose any hope he had for his friend. With a not-so-carefully-hidden laugh, Bokuto corrected him. “Ah, thank you.”

“No biggie, it's hard getting it down the first time. Okay, so now you have more balance, just spread your legs– yeah, like that. Right, looks good.” He took his place in front of Keiji, his sword raised into position.

Tetsurou watched as they stood off against each other now that Keiji's posture was nearly perfect. Bokuto would probably hold back quite a bit, he figured, since the knight had just finished up a rigorous sparring session. That, and the fact that, no matter how much they tried to ignore it, Keiji was different from them. Bokuto and Tetsurou could get hurt and the worst thing that could happen was that they would get scolded, but with Keiji...Well, let's just say that Tetsurou liked his head on his body. Of course, it wasn't always like that, but as time went on, and tensions were higher, there were certain rules that they couldn't fight against. Most of the time when they spent time together, there was no need to keep the rules in mind. At worst, there was a slight chance that Keiji might skin a knee, but he could also do that while walking down the stairs. It was only when they did things like this that Tetsurou found himself worrying.

“Okay, now come at me with all of your strength,” Bokuto said, his position relaxed as he waited for Keiji to make the first move.

But it never came. “Why?” Keiji questioned, his stance never slacking, “I would never be the first to attack.”

“Well, you don't always have a choice.”

“There's always a choice, Bokuto.” As soon as the words left his mouth, the air became heavier, sober. Of course, leave it to Bokuto to completely ignore it and lift it completely.

“I'm pretty sure attacking you is, like, the exact opposite of my job, though. Plus, you're like my pupil right now. You have to listen to what I say,” he grinned widely, “come on, just to see what you've got. Unless, of course, you don't have anything.”

Tetsurou saw Keiji force down a scowl, his lips turning into a tight purse instead. For someone who is usually levelheaded, he did have a competitive streak a mile wide. Swallowing his retorts, Keiji came forward, his movement simple and easily read. Bokuto blocked it without a problem. Tetsurou felt the tension fall from his shoulders. This was just practice, not an actual fight. Keiji was just testing the waters to test himself.

And Tetsurou might have convinced himself if it wasn't for what happened next.

Keiji's eyes never left Bokuto as he drew back his sword and raised it over his head, bringing it down in a swift movement, which too was blocked. But before Bokuto could recover from the attack, Keiji swept his sword to the left, the tip connecting with Bokuto's hip, drawing a yelp from the taller man's mouth. There was a beat of silence; shock. “Holy shit,” Tetsurou whispered under his breath. The corner of Keiji's mouth twitched upwards in a smirk. As suddenly shaken from his state, Bokuto blinked back at the “pupil” before raising his sword again.

Any wish that Tetsurou had about this being a civil practice round was thrown out in an instant. Once Keiji had revealed that this was obviously not his first sword fight, Bokuto was more than happy to oblige to his obvious goading.

Neither of them had a shield to protect them, so the closer attacks were rare. But just because they were farther away from each other, didn't mean that the blows were any less powerful. The sound of wood smacking against each other shot through the air, assaulting Tetsurou's ears with its sharp sound. Their muscles strained under the strength of the other, which came as a surprise. Bokuto carried more obvious mass in his strength, but what Keiji lacked against him, he made up for in sturdy stances, quick, meticulous movements that blurred in front of Tetsurou's eyes, and reading Bokuto like a book.

By the tenth or eleventh consecutive block from Keiji, Bokuto was starting to become more and more frustrated; his movements choppier, sloppier. He came at Keiji again, the swords splintering under the force of the blow. Keiji's eyes widened slightly, but he retaliated by sending a powerful overhead swing down. Bokuto stopped him, and, completely forgetting that he was supposed hold back, moved quick to disarm him. As soon as Bokuto's sword was overlapping Keiji's, he used the speed of the hit to his advantage, pressing the wooden blade against the other's. His sword swung around to the other side of Keiji's arm, which twisted back from their new position. Bokuto grabbed the blade, and pressed into Keiji's wrist, sending him down into the dirt.

A gentle breeze entered the barn through the front, the quiet rustle of leaves from the trees outside became deafening. A beat passed. Then another. Tetsurou opened his mouth to break down the thick wall of silence, but Bokuto's voice came crashing through instead.

“Keiji! Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to.” With the deluge of apologies pouring from Bokuto's mouth, Tetsurou didn't even time to catch all of it. And although Bokuto was unyielding, as if he had just scarred Keiji for life, Keiji sat up without so much as a flinch. Brushing off his arms, Keiji let Bokuto continue until the dirt was mostly gone from his sleeves. Once he deemed himself clean enough, he raised his hand, stopping Bokuto in his tracks.

“Bokuto, I'm fine. It didn't even hurt that much.” He leaned back on his hands, his expression cool as he addressed the man in front of him. “Honestly, it's good to know what you're able to do. After blocking you that often, I was getting concerned.”

As per usual, the jab flew over Bokuto's head. He instead tried to focus on whether or not Keiji was trying to play off any injuries he had. “Come on, Keiji, you don't have to pretend like I didn't severely fuck up. Oh god, I could have really hurt you. And that's bad because not only are you kind of like my boss, but you're also my friend! What type of person hurts their friend? A bad one, Keiji, a bad person. I can't-”

“Hey, Bo, come on, it was an accident,” Tetsurou started, moving from his spot and over to the scene unfolding. Carefully, he placed a hand on his shoulder, moving it in small circles in an attempt to calm him down. Tetsurou knew Bokuto had these moments of intense, almost unruly, emotions, but it had been a while since the last round. “It's not your fault.”

“Actually, Bokuto,” Keiji pushed off his hands. “I thought that was pretty cool. Could you teach me how to do that?” He finished off with a small smile, the corners tugging upwards with ease.

Bokuto blinked. “So you're not mad at me?”

“You only did what I asked. Maybe, if I were nicer, I would even thank-” With that, Bokuto flung himself forward, his arms wrapping around Keiji's shoulders. “-you.”

“I knew you were the best Keiji!” He shouted into his ear. Tetsurou held back a snicker as he watched the boy grimace and then send a quick glare over his way. Bokuto pulled away, his hands clamped onto Keiji's shoulders, completely clueless to the exchange that had transpired. “And if you really want to learn it, you've gotta be willing to fall a few more times.”

“That's alright.” Bokuto gave a strong pat to his shoulders. Another grimace. A snicker. A glare.

“Okay, then let's start.” He rose, dusting off his pants.

Tetsurou took the opportunity to reach his hand towards Keiji, who accepted it without hesitation. Keeping his arm locked in place, Tetsurou allowed him to pull himself up, landing on his feet with a small hop. “Thanks,” Keiji said absently, taking more interest in the dirt on his pants. He pursed his lips in annoyance, using his free hand to try and pat out the dirt and stray pieces of hay. Tetsurou couldn't blame him for sounding far away since he too was not exactly focusing on the common pleasantries; his mind was more fixated on the fact that Keiji had not yet dropped his hand from his.

Tetsurou was a lot of things, but he couldn't say he was exactly a romantic. “Keiji?”

“Hm?” He was still distracted by the few spots left on his trousers.

“You know, you can let go any time, right?” Keiji's eyes snapped up to see their hands still locked together before snatching his away, a light pink blush forming over his cheeks. Tetsurou felt himself smirk, despite his own blush that had started to bloom. Although the loss of the warmth left his hand frigid, it was almost worth it to see the rise he could get out of Keiji.

“I know,” Keiji answered quickly as he turned to pick up the sword. When he began to face him again, Tetsurou caught the tiniest upturn in the corners of his lips. Okay, maybe it was worth it.

“As much as I love watching this little dance you two are doing,” Bokuto chimed in, startling the both of them, “if you wanna learn this, we have to start now.”

Tetsurou sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Just be careful, alright? Unlike some people, I actually work in here. I have to check in with my suppers to see if I have anything left to do.”

“Superiors, Tetsurou,” Keiji corrected.

“I know what I said.”

At least Bokuto laughed at his joke, and he was loud enough to fill in for Keiji as well. Tetsurou waved back at them, turning on his heels as Keiji lightly tapped on Bokuto's shin so they could begin. It was weird to think about; Bokuto teaching Keiji how to wield a weapon. Well, maybe teaching wasn't the right word. From what he gathered, someone else had taught him well before Bokuto. Keiji was obviously new to Bokuto's style of fighting, but he remained calm and collected, no matter what type of attacks came his way.

Tetsurou threw one last look over his shoulder after he had walked a few meters away from the barn, squinting his eyes as the sun's rays barely remained over the top of the roof. A cool breeze blew past him, the grass whistling as each strand moved against each other, drowning out the sounds of the slaps of wood. Tetsurou couldn't be certain about exactly what Keiji was planning with his sudden interest in fighting, but with the agitation he felt as he remembered the eagerness in the prince's voice, and the sinking feeling in his gut, there was one thing he was sure of; it wouldn't bring any good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a fluff chapter and the next one will be too, but then there will be more plot i promise

**Author's Note:**

> In theory, I want to update this about biweekly, but the reality is that I've started my first year of college so... I'll try my best, but we'll have to see. Kudos and comments would be appreciated :)
> 
> you can find me on tumblr at miniminijiminni where I scream about haikyuu and bts


End file.
